Ipsy December Glam Bag

I am BEYOND impressed with my Ipsy glam bag this month!  I seriously don't know how they make any money off of this subscription.  There is so much great stuff inside!

Of course I always get excited when I see that pink package in the mail. It can only mean one thing!

The bag this month is a silver flat bottomed make up bag.  I have been using all my previous bags to house various nail materials like my nail stamper and plates and various glitters and rhinestone wheels.  This one seems a little more higher quality and well made compared to others.  I would definitely throw in my daily makeup essentials and have this in my purse every day.

There were also a lot of inserts this month but it is the holidays!  The first insert lists the brands included in the bag such as Urban Decay (!!!), NYX, Mai Couture, Mirabella and Bombshell.  This month there is an Ipsy Collection look book thank includes a $20 promo code to JustFab.  JustFab customizes monthly collections of shoes and handbags for $39.95.  For those of you that would like to try JustFab out for half off the code is IPSYFAB.  In the look book are super cute bag and shoe combos.  Last is an insert for Glam Bag gift subscriptions which are new!  You can now buy a subscription to send monthly to a friend.  This bag is even cuter than I though.  The inside has a pink fabric with the Ipsy logo on it. 

EEEE! My goodies!  I didn't just get five items this month I got six!  This month there was a special promotion for Influenster members (which I had no idea about). In my bag I received Mai Couture St. Barts Highlighter Papier, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero, NYX Ultra Pearl Mani eye shadow in Mocha Pearl (this lightly dusted everything I got with a light shimmer, it must have leaked in the bag), my extra Influenster perk Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm which isn't even released yet, Bombshell lip gloss in Hot Mess and finally Mirabella Prime for face and eyes.  

Like I said earlier, SO IMPRESSED.  The Mai Couture St. Barts Highlighter Paper contains small sheets dusted with highlighter powder.  When brushed on the skin it transfers and leaves a luminous glow behind.  The full size is 50 sheets but this is the mini size with 25 sheets.  Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil is in Zero or  black.  This is the mini size.  I am so excited to try this because I love Urban Decay products but they are usually too expensive.  NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Mocha Pearl is a full size shadow that is super shimmery and pigmented.  Urban Decay Naked Beauty Balm is a sample size of an early release product.  This Beauty Balm won't be released until early January so I am very excited to try it out.  Be a Bombshell lip gloss in Hot Mess is a full size vibrant red gloss.  Finally Mirabella Prime for face and eyes is also a full size product.  I really hit the jackpot this month!  Three full size products, two minis and one sample in this one bag.

Mai Couture St. Barts Highlighter Papier Mini - $14

This highlighter paper adds radiance and glow to any desired area.  To use you just sweep the paper in areas like the cheekbones, chin and below the brow bone but the possibilities are endless.  The highlighter is a subtle shimmer in a deep tan base. Applying was easy and the shimmer transferred wonderfully.  However, I did feel bad throwing away a whole sheet when I was done because there was a lot of shimmer left over!  A lot of people reviewing I've seen have been claiming it is a full size but it isn't, full size is 50 sheets, this is 24. For $28 for a full size and $14 for a mini it felt like a bit of a waste. I think I would prefer a shimmer powder in a small container so I could use all of it.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Mini in Zero - $9.50

I was most excited about the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil and I was not disappointed.  Another smash hit from Urban Decay!  This eyeliner was fantastic!  I love black eye liners and Zero was a perfect black.  The consistency is amazing!  It glides on smooth and creamy and is blendable for about 30 seconds before it dries.  The pigment is intensely dark and once I placed it I didn't need to go back over it.  This is a waterproof eyeliner!  Many waterproofs I've tried are waxy and sometimes pale but I didn't even realize this was waterproof until I looked up details on it.  Since I put my eyeliners on it has had an amazing staying power.  I have to pony up the $19 for a full size of this when I run out!

Please excuse my eyebrows, I'm growing them out thicker and I'm midway into my grow out.

Shown with Le Volume de Chanel mascara, NYX Mocha Pearl eye shadow and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil.

NYX Ultra Pearl Mania in Mocha Pearl Full Size - $3

I got to see NYX Ultra Pearl eye shadow as soon as I opened by Glam Bag because it leaked a bit and lightly dusted everything with shimmer haha.  This shadow is a mineral based shimmer with intense pigment that gives a lovely pearlescent effect.  There are lots of shades of these eye shadows and all are as intensely pigmented as the last.  Mocha is a creamy brown with light white/silver shimmer throughout.  The eye shadow top screws off to reveal a small opening. This is where I had a problem.  My eye shadow brushes were too wide to fit in the opening so to access it I had to pour a little bit out.  Again, I hate wasting product and it would seem easy to widen the opening so brushes have better access.  I may pour the eye shadow out into a wider container for future use.  I loved the eye shadow itself.  It went on bright and easy and blended beautifully. With its fine ground powder I did get some fall out but it brushed off my cheek easily and didn't leave any pigment behind. In my application above I only did one light brush stroke of the shadow but it could be done much heavier to get a darker mocha color. For the price I would definitely consider getting some more of the NYX Pearl Mania eye shadows.

Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess Full Size - $14

I love experimenting with lip gloss.  I tend to go for nude or gentle pinks so I don't own any bright reds.  Be a Bombshells Hot Mess is a very bright red gloss. One application of this lip gloss gave a slightly sheer look and with more layers it became more opaque and red.  This lip gloss is a long lasting formula and stayed bright and glossy!  I probably won't use this gloss too much because I'm not really a red girl but I would love to try some other shades of Be a Bombshells glosses.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm Sample - $?
I have no clue how much this sample would be worth because the Naked Skin Beauty Balm isn't being released by Urban Decay until early January.  Urban Decay claims that Naked Skin Beauty Balm will minimize pores, lines, wrinkles and redness instantly.  It firms skin over 8 weeks time.  This primer will perfect by blurring pigment which helps even skin tone, minimize pores, lines, wrinkles and redness.  It also protects with SPF 20 and Pepha which inhibits DNA damage.  Vitasource and dGlyage firm the skin and improve elasticity.  This primer also hydrates!  It sounds amazing all together.  I used it under my makeup and it smelled amazing. It had a herbal scent and applied smoothly.  The formula was pigmented and slightly dissipated when spread. Naked Skin felt light and spread evenly.  My foundation stayed in place all day. While I can't review the longer effects of this sample I did enjoy it over a small amount of time and would definitely use it again.

Mirabella Prime for Face and Eyes Full Size - $29
This is a clear primer that looks to be silky smooth.  However it is slightly oily which is funny because there is no oil in it.  The scent is actually quite chemically.  Vitamin E is infused inside to smooth lines and protect skin.  I've tried a few primers and I don't think I'd pay $29 for the small bottle they sell.  I've found others I like more that do more to protect and prime better.  Not a terrible product but I just couldn't part with $30 for a 12.85g bottle.

Overall I am so excited with my Ispy glam bag this month. I got over $70 of product in this $10 subscription bag and that isn't including the makeup bag everything came in and the Urban Decay Naked Skin sample.  Every month I get a substantial value on these but this is the biggest so far!

My favorite product was the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil in Zero along with the NYX eye shadow.  My eyes looked great with the combo.  The Urban Decay Naked Skin primer was really fabulous and I would love to use more of it to see if everything in there does as described. The Be a Bombshell Lip Gloss in Hot Mess was a great formula but I probably won't wear it too much because of the intense color.  It could be a great color for the holidays though! I probably would not have purchased the Mai Couture St. Barts Highlighter Papier. For a shimmer I prefer something like Stilas All Over Kitten Shimmer where I have access to a full tin of product and don't have to do away with any excess.  The Mirabella Prime was nice to try but for the price I wouldn't pay for such a small amount of product that smelled chemically.

Thanks for another fantastic glam bag Ipsy!